Aircraft movement dips at BIA

Despite the creeping winter resulting in several delays at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) could go into Christmas with a smile in 2011.

This year, although there are no major delays reported even as it is almost December, the BIA has seen a considerable dip in aircraft movement this winter.

The turbulence in the Indian aviation sector has seen BIA lose almost 25 flights per day this winter compared to 2011. The BIA, which has the third highest domestic traffic in the country, has seen the total number of aircraft movement decrease to 298 per day this winter, compared to 328 last year.

Effect of Kingfisher crisis

Overall, there is an increase in traffic movement of all the airlines, an official said adding that the decrease in movement can be attributed to stoppage of Kingfisher Airlines.

Kingfisher Airlines operated a majority of its flights on Bangalore sector before it got entangled in a financial mess, which eventually led to suspension of its licence by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

While this is considered a major reason for the drop in aircraft movement at the BIA, the things are not hunky dory in the international sector either with no new airline scheduled to start operations, hence the slowdown. In 2011, three new international airlines – Etihad Airways, Bangkok Airways and Tiger Airways – started operations from BIA.

Expansion work

The BIAL has undertaken expansion of Terminal 1 (T1) at an estimated cost Rs 1000 crore. The proposed T1 will accommodate 18 million passengers annually against the current 12.5 million.